Three Days
by Crystal-V-Princess
Summary: Ranma and Akane are sent to the summer home by their parents to see how they'll adjust to each other when they're finally married. What's in store may not be what they expected...
1. Default Chapter

Three Days  
  
  
  
By: Crystal_V_Princess  
  
Disclaimer: Like every other sane woman on earth I wish I owned Ranma (heh, heh) but I sadly, I do not have any rights to him. Rumiko Takahashi was the genius who create Ranma ½, so she owns it all!!!!!!!!! Darn-Anyhoo, on with the story!  
  
Note: The fact that Akane's carrying a newly baked loaf of bread and a bit of salt is an old legend (no, sorry, it a New England legend not a Japanese one. My apologies to those readers who disagree with using a foreign superstition) that ensures good luck to the people moving into a new house.  
  
Dedications: To Fireblaze as always, you're a wonder! To Tim, there are no words to describe my thanks for being blessed with a friend like you! You give me incredible encouragement! And to Lana Panther, Juniper Winner, Lian Leviathan, Caramia Shallear Cessiyyess, Sara, and Trinity! Also to Furaidochikin!!!!!! Thanks for reviewing, my dearest, bestest, Neko-chan! Love you guys!!!! Mwaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XXXXOOO!  
  
Akane Tendo clutched the freshly baked loaf of bread to her abdomen, wrinkling her soft white blouse. In her other hand, she held a small plastic bag full of salt. A look of nervousness danced across her face as the bus jerked forward, sending her slamming into the seat before her.  
  
"Whoah!" Ranma's masculine baritone yelled at the driver as his arms caught the girl, "Careful up there!" He held her close against his chest, staring in the direction of the driver's chair. "Jeez, how'd he get his license?!" The pigtailed boy grumbled, his thumb absently rubbing Akane's forearm gently.  
  
He glanced down at her and became painfully aware of their closeness. A brilliant blush danced over the girl's smooth cheeks and her small hands gripped Ranma's biceps with the care of someone who wasn't quite sure of what they wanted to say so had resorted to physical contact in place of simple silence.  
  
He released her quickly and slid back over to the other side of the seat, needing distance, no matter how small. He felt his own face warm at the thought of her so near him, her silky hair tickling his nose, it's lavender perfume mixing with the musky sandalwood scent of him. It was nice, and though Ranma acknowledged this he found it unnerving and scooted to the very edge of the bench, avoiding his own desires with tact tuned over months spent with her.  
  
"Ranma?" The sound of her voice jolted him back to reality and he turned to face her full on, forgetting his discomfort in surprise from the disruption.  
  
"Hmmm?" He replied, swallowing instinctively though his mouth was dry.  
  
"Has Uncle Genma shown you the summer house before?" Her face was thoughtful and she rested her tenderly pointed chin on one fist. The boy shook his head in response, furrowing his brow beneath wild bangs.  
  
"Nope. Didn't know we had one till Pop suggested we go there." He blushed suddenly, bringing back to mind the anxiety of the idea both their fathers had recommended only days ago.  
  
"Why not go to the summer home for three days to see how you adjust to each other when you're finally married?" Soun Tendo had said at breakfast Monday morning. Of course, Genma Saotome had agreed heartily and though Ranma and Akane argued relentlessly with their fathers for hours about it, it had finally been decided that they would depart for the countryside on the Wednesday of that week.  
  
The boy and girl had sat silently at dinner that evening, their hands in their laps throughout most of the meal, agonizingly conscious of the fact they'd be alone together in a remote area for a good three days. Many things could happen between two people in three days. Some of them intriguing, another reason the pair had decided against talking during supper.  
  
Lying awake in their beds for a notable subset of the night, Akane and Ranma had envisaged nervously the foreboding and exciting Wednesday looming above them. Frequent sparks of exhilaration surging through their trembling bodies at the thoughts. Eventually, they'd fallen asleep, dreaming apprehensively of the days they'd spend alone.  
  
Ranma watched the girl sitting beside him from the corner of one azure eye, wetting his lips as the bus carried them closer to what could be their ruin or redemption. He mutely wondered what would happen when they finally arrived.  
  
He found his stomach muscles clench sickeningly, the acidic fluids within his belly churning. He shouldn't be nervous, after all, he'd professed many times his distaste for his fiancée. The only problem was that he knew this was all a façade he'd built up to fool even himself, and it didn't seem to be working on his part.  
  
He shook briefly, gulping, needing, thirsty for something, the one thing he was unsure of, yet needed the most. Akane seemed unaware of his quandary which he was greatly thankful for. The boy wasn't sure what he would say had she asked him why he looked so pinched right then. Maybe he wouldn't say anything. Maybe he'd dip his head and capture the lips he saw visions of in his sleep, digging his fingers into the soft flesh of her shoulders. Maybe was too much of a chance, and he wasn't prepared to be permanently disfigured by her powerful fists because of it, so he turned away from the girl quickly.  
  
Ranma stared out of the window across the aisle, a couple were sitting in the seat beside it. They were holding hands and the girl had her head on her boyfriend's shoulder. The pigtailed martial artist felt a wave of jealousy wash over him. Why couldn't he and Akane be that way?  
  
  
  
He closed his eyes, a picture of him and Akane walking to school holding hands flashed through his brain and was quickly followed by other wishful images. Normal things that engaged people did. People who loved each other.  
  
"Ranma!" Akane shouted. He jerked in his seat, feeling as if she'd caught him doing something he shouldn't have been. He turned to look at her, his shoulders hunched slightly.  
  
  
  
"Huh?" She pursed her lips and eyed him briefly, then let out a breath of air in defeat.  
  
"This is our stop." She said, standing up, holding the loaf to her side with her arm and gripping the boy's sleeve. "Let's go." He followed her to the front of the bus and waited for her to move down the steps, strangely tempted to seize her arm in case she slipped. It took all his strength to resist the sudden desire for chivalry.  
  
Ranma jumped off the top step quickly, dust clouding around his feet as they impacted with the earth. "Which way?" He asked, pointing in the direction of a fork of two dirt pathways. Akane scrunched her face in a way he found unbearably cute. He kicked himself mentally and cleared his throat. "Well?"  
  
"Mmmm-" The girl hummed tentatively, searching the paths with velvety brown eyes. "That way." She stated, poking her finger at the trail to the right.  
  
"Are you sure?" He asked, worry lines indenting his young forehead, "Why that one?" She let out a sigh, and opened her mouth to say something, but stopped before any words could escape her throat.  
  
"I don't know. I just think it's this one." Akane shook her head, more at herself than him, and started walking toward the path. The heir to the Anything-Goes-School-of-Martial- Arts pursued her retreating form, watching the pale fabric tighten against the curve of her spine and shift across the smoothness of her flesh.  
  
The material which had been so carefully tucked into the waist of her skirt that morning was yanking free of it's bonds, the hemmed edges of her blouse waving gently in the zephyr made by her movements. Flashes of fair skin peeked out at her waist as the shirt altered it's position in the breeze, like the promise of secrets to come; and Ranma found himself hoping, somehow, that he would soon know those mysteries.  
  
Akane abruptly stopped, nearly causing the boy to bump into her. She turned around effortlessly, a small smile gracing her lips. "Slowpoke." She teased, reaching out a slender finger to touch the end of his nose. "Hurry up."  
  
Ranma frowned automatically, stuffing his hands in his pockets grumpily and mumbling under his breath. But he kept pace with her, trying not to glace in her direction too many times, which after the fiftieth time he discovered he was doing.  
  
He fidgeted asininely, scratching his head, rubbing the back of his neck, waiting for her to say something, anything. Strange as it was, despite his disinclination to look at her, he silently hoped she would speak to him, to make him look at her.  
  
"We're here!" Came an enthusiastic squeal, bringing him out of his thoughts. He watched as she pranced up the cobblestone walk and up the steps to a white wooden front door. "Come one, Ranma!" She urged, annoyance hidden beneath hours of weariness.  
  
He joined her on the large porch and stood rigidly as she pulled out a ring with the cottage key on it. The pigtailed boy held his breath as she twisted it in the lock, watching silently as the door swung open, revealing lovely and simple furnishings.  
  
Past the vestibule was a living room; a wooden table stood by a large window at the left of the house accompanied by a white whicker chair with a floral patterned pillow on it, a bookshelf was at the right of it. A medium sized television was placed on a small shelf in the opposite corner of the room and four pillows that matched the one on the chair but were slightly larger were piled beside it. In the very middle of the room was an open irori fireplace with the traditional kettle hanging above it, suspended from the ceiling by a metal pole.  
  
It was a fairly small room, with a wide, open doorway leading into the dining room which also served as the kitchen.  
  
Ranma and Akane walked into the house, discarding their shoes in the front hall, closing the door behind them and moved into the eating room. Like the living room it was simple and pretty, a small stove and oven was on the side parallel with the doorway. A low table squatted in the middle of the room, a thick layer of dust coating the top. Cupboards lined the walls, as Soun Tendo had told them they would, and were stuffed with canned foods that even Akane couldn't ruin. He'd gotten smacked for that comment.  
  
"There had better be more than one bedroom." Akane squeaked, eyeing her surroundings carefully opening the paper door and stepping into the next room, which appeared to be a master bedroom. The pigtailed boy shadowed her, searching helplessly for another room.  
  
"Aha!" He shouted triumphantly, pointing toward another door, "Over there!" They marched over to the entry and slid it open, ignoring the loud slam it made on impact with the bearings.  
  
Ranma felt his throat go as dry as sawdust and his eyes bulge out. It was the bathroom, not another bedroom. That meant that he and Akane would have to share the master room. Possibilities swam through his clouded brain, blurring his vision. "Damn", He murmured aloud, avoiding his fiancée's eyes.  
  
  
  
Akane stood stiffly, barely breathing, her face a mask of shock and outrage. Her pink lips parted slightly, no sound emerging from them.  
  
The boy took a deep breath, biting his lip and poking the floor with his bare toe. He staggered over beside her, not sure what to do, he reached out a hand and touched her shoulder gently.  
  
As his hand made contact with her, he felt the girl shuddering weakly beneath his fingers. A swell of heat rushed through his body and Ranma pulled his hand back quickly as if scalded. "Um, I'll sleep in the bathroom if you want-" He murmured, trailing off into uncomfortable silence.  
  
  
  
She turned to him and he looked at her, really looked at her for the first time that day. The eyes, round and shining beneath soft, feminine brows, the slender, finely shaped nose, and the full lips that suggested both sensuousness and refinement. Her slender neck and shapely shoulders outlined by the thin blouse; the young martial arts master quickly found himself wondering what fabric it was, silk or cotton, what could cling and move like that so innocently? Her slim arms held in front of her, the small hands clasped together, the tips of her fingers clustering delicately like the new buds of a moonflower. Her skirt, short and full and pale blue with large pink tulips printed on it, was almost bold against the lotus white of her thighs and calves. Her feet were bare: pure, soft angel feet. "It's okay," She sighed wearily, "I trust you."  
  
The words shook Ranma, his entire body quivering as she moved into the bedroom and began searching through the cupboards and drawers for blankets. She trusted him. Somehow, this was more than enough.  
  
As night fell, Akane warmed the canned goods in the iron kettle over the irori fireplace and sat with her fiancé eating silently. He wasn't sure if she was simply tired or uncomfortable and this was awkward for him. Even after they'd both finished their meals they sat quietly in the choking hush of the living room.  
  
Ranma cleared his throat loudly, "Ahem," he said, holding a fist up to his mouth, "I suppose I'll turn in now." He stood quickly and hurried into the bathroom, readying himself for bed.  
  
In the midst of a coiling cloud of steam he sat cross-legged on the floor, washing his braided hair, mulling over the situation. His warmed body felt miraculously healed at last of the tiredness of the day's past moments of indecision and discomfiture. Stepping from the clouded vicinity of the bathing area dressed in blue pajamas, Ranma moved toward the bedroom and hesitated at the open doorway.  
  
Akane was kneeling on the floor arranging the bedding on the futon, her slender fingers careful and strangely graceful in their workings. The quilt and pillows laid out, she stood smoothly and walked past the pigtailed boy and into the still-warm bathroom.  
  
He could hear her washing in the next room, as he lay there in the darkness of the bedroom, buried beneath the patchwork blanket. Ranma closed his eyes, begging the gods for sleep, but obviously they were not smiling upon his that night.  
  
The girl wandered into the shadowy room, her form small and silent as she padded with soft, clean feet across the cold wooden floorboards toward where he feigned slumber. She knelt slowly, flattening the crinkled fabric of her white nightdress, and slid beneath the quilt, the few three feet away from him.  
  
Ranma gulped, not bothering to pretend he was sleeping any longer, and gripped the comforter. She wasn't lying that close to him but it felt as if she were. He was aware of the dampness of her silky black hair against the pillow, as if the moisture floated in the air to him, blanketing his face.  
  
The atmosphere was warm and slightly wet from the added humidity of their bodies and hair from the baths. He rolled onto his back and folded his hands behind his head and gazed at the dark boards of the ceiling in the dim light offered by the moon through the large square window. There was the sound of crickets and night animals moving about outside and he shut his eyes again, trying hard to ignore the girl only so many inches away from him. She lay still with her eyes closed, long, dark lashes wing-like against her pale skin. His eyelids fluttered open and he turned onto his side again to gaze at her overtly.  
  
The moonlight delicately revealed the majestic sweep of her body bundled under the coverlet, her dramatic curves uncontested by the blanket's bulky mass. Ranma reached out a shaking hand to touch her hair and found she had fallen into the balanced breathing of slumber. He allowed the unforgettable spectacle to engrave itself upon his mind and realized he had edged a bit closer to her. The feelings that surged through his heart as he stared at the sleeping figure were alarming, and it was no such transitory terror as a dream leaves behind, though it felt as if he might be in one, it was a substantial fright, thick and tangible. "Akane," He whispered hoarsely in the silence and warmth of the quilt, "Akane-" And that was all he needed.  
  
Author's Note: I intend on writing more chappies on this of course, hope you like this idea, tell me if you do please!!!!! I thank Tim for encouraging me on this story, though I already mentioned you in the beginning I feel that you were truly an inspiration to do well on this after your enthusiasm in my idea!!! Thank you soooooooooo much!!!! Um, also, I was listening to more mushy, romantic music when I was listening to this so blame it on that if it was too WAFFy!!! I was partaking of "Take My Breath Away", "Dreaming", "Invisible Man", "Heaven's Missing An Angel", "Was It Something I Didn't Say", "Hand In Hand", "I Wasn't Over You", "Completely", "Don't Stop The Love", and "I Wanna Love You" by 98 Degrees (sorry if you don't like them but hey, to each his/her own!), also, "Misty's Song" from the Pokemon "I Wanna B A Master!" soundtrack (which is ULTRA cute!!!), and "November Rain" from the Ranma ½ soundtrack (the instrumental Muzak version) to write this. Sorry it took so long for me to write another fic but I wanted this to be really powerful!!!!! I liked it, hope you do to! Love ya's guys! Mwah!!!  
  
Lovies, Crystal_V_Princess ;P 


	2. Day One

Three Days:  
  
Day One  
  
By: Crystal_V_Princess  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½, though it is doubtless that I wish I did. Rumiko Takahashi (God bless her!) has all rights and er, stuff to the characters and storylines (except the one I'm writing of course!!)  
  
Note: It's true, I usually do most of my writing from Ranma's point of view, and I think this might be because in the manga Ranma seems more affected by Akane's innocent whiles instead of the other way around. I won't blame it on raging teenage male hormones as that would be stereotypical and rude, but let's just say Ranma IS a hot-blooded male in more than just his fighting temperament and skills. However, because he is so inexperienced and shy, it rarely shines through except in extremely provoking situations. Such as when Akane's body was possessed by the spirit of that doll, I'm not sure what book it was-but anyway, he was er, well, he was tempted on a rather, I would say, erotic level (Oh, my goodness! Did I really just write that?!?!). Whereas, Akane rarely, if ever, sees Ranma in a way that surpasses plain love. If she does it is usually in a nightmarish, horrifying form meant to imply her reluctance towards intimacy (Of any kind, don't be perverted!!! Eeeek!) with her fiancé, which isn't surprising considering the circumstances. Therefore, if you notice I write this way, you are right! I do! Sorry if you don't like it!!!!  
  
O Nightingale! thou surely art  
  
A creature of a 'fiery heart': -  
  
These notes of thine - they are pierce and pierce;  
  
Tumultuous harmony and fierce!  
  
Thou sing'st as if the God of wine  
  
Had helped thee to a Valentine;  
  
A song in mockery and despite  
  
Of shades, and dews, and silent night;  
  
A steady bliss, and all the loves  
  
Now sleeping in these peaceful groves.  
  
I heard a Stock-dove sing or say  
  
His homely tale, this very day;  
  
His voice was buried among trees,  
  
Yet to be come - at by the breeze:  
  
He did not cease; but cooed - and cooed:  
  
And somewhat pensively he wooed:  
  
He sang of love, with quiet blending,  
  
Slow to begin, and never ending;  
  
Of serious faith, and inward glee;  
  
That was the song - the song for me!  
  
- "O Nightingale! Thou Surely Art", William Wordsworth (1770-1850).  
  
  
  
Ranma woke late the next morning, his arms feeling empty without Akane in them. The night before she'd absently rolled into his embrace, his body spooning hers innocently. The warmth was enough to send him spiraling headfirst into his tangled emotions, struggling blindly to resolve them.  
  
As he'd noticed long ago, Akane slept calmly after a tiring day, especially on warm summer nights, this was to his fortune as he was not pummeled once during the past hours.  
  
Curiously, he hadn't fought with her since Tuesday, and it was Thursday. The pigtailed boy sighed, breathing in the reminiscent scent Akane left wherever she went. He rolled onto his stomach and pressed his face into the pillow, enveloped in the spectre-like presence of her in the cotton pillowcase.  
  
He suddenly sat up, realizing he couldn't hear her anywhere in the house. Where was she anyway? The boy eased himself up out of the bedding and began to dress. The cool air of morning collided with the heat of his body, sending gooseflesh up his arms and a shiver down his spine.  
  
Stepping out into the foggy atmosphere surrounding the small house, Ranma glanced about, searching the surrounding trees for his missing fiancée, a sudden wave of worry crashing against his contracting heart. He fancied he saw a shadowy and ill-defined form gliding about through the forest. It moved from behind a tall pine and he recognized the girl immediately. Rising from the wall of foliage, as from the stroke of an enchanter's wand, looking so light and ethereal, that he could scarcely believe she was more than a picture reflected in his mind's eye by the illusions of the thin mist of first light.  
  
"Where've you been, Akane?! Geez!" He grumbled as she waltzed past him toward the well pump beside the house and began washing her face. He dodged droplets of cold water flicked from her skin as she shook her head wildly, trying to release the water caught in her bangs.  
  
"Looking around," She replied simply and leaned back against the well with a sigh. "You should try it. This place is really beautiful around dawn." Her voice held awe he rarely heard and he was intrigued by it.  
  
"Oh yeah? Example?" His dark blue eyes, always penetrating, gleamed at her thoughtfully. She reveled inconspicuously beneath them, turning her face away coyly. This was a game they'd play, every now and again, teasing, taunting, daring. Ranma had always prided himself on being a master at it, but lately, the teasing seemed harder to ignore, the dares nearly irresistible.  
  
He advanced on her, closing the distance between them quickly. Akane looked startled but swiftly regained enough composure to choke out a few words. "The sunrise. It's like everything's waking up." Her eyes shone, velvety brown, with silver flecks from the waning lights of sunrise and the pines standing around threw motionless shadows upon her pale skin-it was one of the most singular and beautiful sights he had ever beheld.  
  
Without thinking, Ranma reached to touch her, longing for the comfortingly soft experience of her skin. He had touched her tenderly, sincerely, only a few times since they'd met, and the sense of the contact brought a woozy feeling over him, forcing his eyelids to droop and finally close.  
  
Her warm breath tickled his throat and he realized he'd drawn her to him. She didn't move, not a finger, even to hit him for illicitly making contact with her, as he had not asked, and never would. "Akane-" He whispered, the word a soft, gruff noise from deep within his throat.  
  
"Yes?" Her reply was quiet, hopeful, needy. A small hand snaked between them to rest on the front of his shirt, barely holding the fabric between her thumb and forefinger. He leaned down, pressing his lips to the crown of her head, brushing the silky hair gently. She was waiting, wanting.  
  
Ranma pulled away slowly, not sure why, and turned from her. "Nothing." He refused to look at her, but could hear the hurt in the girl's voice as she spoke.  
  
"Oh." The pigtailed boy could practically feel her eyes burning into his back, scorching him. He knew what she was doing even without looking at her. Akane was biting her bottom lip, she always did that when she was confused, angry, thinking, or upset, he supposed it was to take her mind off of the pain of those situations by distracting her mind from them by a physical pain. He always seemed to be the cause of that lip biting, and the thought sent a bullet of guilt shooting through him like electricity.  
  
"Listen, Akane, I-" The words were soft and strangled as he spun around to stare into her face, but she wasn't looking at him anymore. Her eyes focused on the pinpricks of light dancing across the treetops towering above them, the beams stenciled on her features like some kind of old Victorian lace design. She held up a hand to silence him. It worked. It always worked.  
  
"Nevermind," She said soberly, trying to disguise the ache in her voice, "It doesn't matter." He recoiled slightly at her words. It did matter. To him at least. But why couldn't he say that?  
  
  
  
"I'm going to take a walk." She whispered, her voice barely audible in the beginning sounds of day life. Ranma moved to intercept her, to try and explain, entreat her to rethink her decision, but she stepped past him, her head down-turned. "Alone."  
  
He watched as she retreated into the trees, hating himself more with her every downtrodden footstep. The boy hoped against hope that this would not be the start of a series of arguments yet to come, as they'd been getting along fairly well lately. Sometimes though, hope was not enough.  
  
  
  
"Ranma, you jerk-" Akane murmured to herself absently as she plodded through the undergrowth of the forest. "Why do you always do this to me?" Her eyes were glistening, tears threatening to spill at any second. Why couldn't he stop worrying about asking? He could've kissed her back there, could've, but didn't. And it was partially her fault.  
  
She'd accused him so many times of thing he hadn't been guilty of that now he was constantly worried about her opinions of him, though he'd never admit the fact. His sense of self would never permit it.  
  
The shorthaired girl swiped at the salty beads dribbling down her cheeks, her eyes shone like dewy moons. Emotions sped turbulently about in her heart. She raised her clasped hands to her chest, squeezing her eyes closed. "Why?"  
  
She ran silently through woodland, waiting for an answer that would never come.  
  
Ranma stood despondently where his mournful fiancée had left him, trying to pick up the shattered pieces of the day before. They'd both been so nervous, so excited about being together without interference that the insults and anger that was typical and somewhat necessary as a balance, disappeared into the oblivion of their anticipation. Now here it was again, reemerging in the face of emotion as it always did.  
  
The pigtailed boy had been exposed to all kinds of maniacs, strange and supernatural beings or practices, and the like, but it seemed that when he and Akane began to inch anywhere near the margins of sentiment his internal alarm went off and kicked him back into doing or saying something foolish. It was relentless and maddening, and what made it worse was that he couldn't seem to sojourn from this practice.  
  
A cold droplet of water collided with his cheek, and he turned his face upward to the greying sky. As another drip of rain splashed against his skin and Ranma briefly appreciated the soap, he'd swiped from Ryoga, which prevented him from changing into a girl for a limited amount of time. Then he remembered whom he'd washed with that soap for and his strong shoulders slumped miserably. The main reason he wanted to be complete, the reason that was even more important to him than his own self- image, was Akane. What was the point of temporarily sustaining his manhood if she wasn't there to see it?  
  
He walked dejectedly into the house and straight into the bedroom, flopping unceremoniously down on the comforter and pillow. For the second time that morning he let himself become intoxicated by the quintessential representation of the shorthaired girl's essence, lavender. Lavender and rain.  
  
Hours passed, seeming like years. She hadn't come home and he was beginning to get worried again; it would be dark soon and in the mountains there were plenty of things that could happen to a girl all alone, even if she was a martial artist.  
  
He stepped back out into the wet outdoors, holding one hand above his eyes as he stood on the porch, checking quickly to see if she was anywhere nearby. He wordlessly hoped she might emerge from the mists as she had that morning, astonishing and annoying him. But to his consternation her apparition-like appearance wasn't seconded.  
  
A clap of thunder rose above his head and Ranma ran towards the trees, suddenly more bothered than before. If there was one thing he knew about Akane, it was that she didn't like thunder, not that she had stated it openly to him, but there were signs. Her tensed body, the tightly knit eyebrows and scrunched forehead, apparent to no one but him.  
  
A panicked expression fixed itself on his intense features and he glanced about rapidly while he moved. "Akane!" His voice rang out in the booming, angry crack of rumbling. "Akane! Where are you?!"  
  
The pigtailed boy dashed through the underbrush, his red silk shirt catching on the sharp little branches sticking out like menacing skeletal fingers from the bushes. He heard a loud tearing and felt himself falling face-first into the muddy, bucolic path made more by animals than people.  
  
Looking up to survey the damage, he saw a large rip lancing across his side, exposing a long, vicious red welt rising quickly against his fair skin.  
  
He pushed himself up on his haunches, clutching his fists on top of his knees, eyes closed tightly. Since he was a child he'd always been taught that to cry was a direct malignity against masculinity. But as the possibilities of Akane's disappearance rushed vigorously through his head, he felt warm droplets trickle down his face.  
  
Ranma's heart fell further into desolation as the rain plummeted unceasingly to the ground, mingling with his tears. He hadn't cried in so long, it seemed as if a barrier had broken loose and everything that he'd been feeling since he had moved to Nerima came crashing down.  
  
  
  
The boy shook gently as a wind blew past him, and stood, arms stretched down by his sides. "Damn you, Akane-" He whispered, gritting his teeth against the cold that was beginning to overtake his body. "Why'd you have to run away-" He ran a calloused hand across his face and through his bangs, pushing them away from his eyes.  
  
With a sigh of loss he walked slowly back to the domicile, ignoring the rain falling hard across his back. "Damn me too-"  
  
The sun had already set, and the red reflected light of the western sky illuminated the scene with the peculiar effect with which he was familiar. The room seemed very dark, but through the window shone the same dusky light.  
  
He sat down and looked out upon the richly-wooded landscape that glowed grand and melancholy light which was every moment fading. Watching the dark, shapeless clouds drift mockingly across the horizon, Ranma bit his bottom lip in a gesture that was surprisingly like the one Akane performed all the time. She'd be back soon. She had to be. It was the hundredth time he'd told himself that and still she hadn't arrived.  
  
As if on cue, a light and rapid tread on the wooden floorboards of the porch echoed in his ears and he rose quickly, progressing forward toward the door. But before he could reach it the door was flung open and Akane rushed into the room. She looked wild, fierce and haggard with terror and exhaustion, her summer dress dirty and torn. Her cherry-blossom lips moved silently and for a moment Ranma thought she might fall senseless to the floor. He rushed forward, instinctively grasping her biceps to hold her steady.  
  
"Ranma!" She cried, her jaw quivering slightly as she reached for him, burying her face in the front of his shirt unabashedly.  
  
Astonished and almost scared at the strange agitation in which the call was made, he circled his arms around her comfortingly. After a moment, she seemed to realize their propinquity and moved away from his reassuring hold to where he'd lit a fire in the irori fireplace. "I got lost." She said, turning her face so he couldn't quite see it all the way. She was drawing her heart away from him, the same way he did to her so frequently. The way he had that very morning.  
  
Ranma wanted to scream at her how terrified he'd been when she'd gone missing, to yell at her for a better explanation. But he didn't, he was too fearful that she might abscond into the forest again at any loud comment, so he said the only thing he could under the circumstances. "Ahh-" It was a breathy, knowing sound made from somewhere in his chest.  
  
Then he nodded at her and went swiftly into the bathroom, retrieving a towel. Sitting down beside her, he reached out to rub the terrycloth down her damp shoulder and arm.  
  
Akane turned on him quickly, her face unsure and amazed at the sudden show of tenderness. He glanced up at her, then went back to his labours to dry her off. She smiled at him through half-closed lips and Ranma felt his body warm considerably beneath her gaze.  
  
  
  
The towel moved to her cheek and he patted the clamminess from her smooth skin softly. She appeared to glow and he had the feeling he might look as if he were too. His mouth moved unconsciously, and he began to babble things he'd never even think of saying under any other circumstances. "You're really-um, you know I think-really-not-I mean-I think you're really-beautiful-" The boy's face flamed red and he stopped his ministrations abruptly.  
  
  
  
He saw Akane scanning him from beneath her willow-leaf brows while she was pretending to look into the fire. "You're shirt's torn." She stated, as if what he'd just blurted were the most natural thing in the world for him to say.  
  
Ranma mutely thanked her and fiddled with the slashed edges of the material. "Yeah. It got ripped on a branch." He realized after a minute that she would ask him why on earth he would be running around in sharp bushes and then he would have to admit that he had been wrought with worry for her.  
  
The shorthaired girl smiled inwardly and pretended to disregard his comment. "Hold on. I'll get the sewing box." She stood gracefully and walked into the master bedroom, returning a few minutes later with a small wooden box that slightly resembled a lunchbox and clothed in her white nightgown.  
  
Lowering herself back on the floor, she pulled out a spool of red thread and began counting out the proper amount of inches needed to sew up the gash. Though Ranma was a little nervous about Akane using a needle in immediacy with his body, he allowed her to begin her work, closing his eyes so as not to be able to supply himself with any stupid remarks that might ruin the peaceful moment. "There!" She exclaimed, after a unexpectedly short period time, and leaning her head forward to sever the extra thread with her teeth, a warm exhalation of breath drifting across his side. "All finished!" He looked down at her handiwork and was relieved to see that he was not only un- scathed, but that she had gotten better in her sewing since the last time he'd born witness to it.  
  
She swiveled from her position facing him to put the spool and needle back into the box. He watched as she turned, exposing to his vision the seductive dive of her nightdress from behind. His eyes traveled across the fine lines of her shoulder blades and the graceful curve of her back. The smooth flesh looked warm and inviting.  
  
Her head bent forward as she placed the lid back on the case and, feeling happy and bold, he reached out a finger to trace the delicate stroke of her spine. He saw her back arch responsively and he pressed his hand flat against the curl. His fingers fondling the skin gently, his two hands moving to her hold her waist. Ranma leaned in toward her, his chin nearly resting on her shoulder. "Thanks, Akane." He whispered, closing his eyes to inhale the aroma he loved. It was the first time in a while she'd actually allowed him get close enough to experience it outright, the waves of her scent caressing his face.  
  
"Mm-hm." She murmured back, not turning to look at him, "No problem." Her voice was husky and soft in the comfortable silence of the room.  
  
Ranma removed his hands from her hips and she rose as if she were some celestial body released from gravity once again. Her bare feet moved noiselessly across the floorboards and Ranma observed that she more glided than walked. "Akane-" He heard his voice call to her, stopping her abruptly in her actions.  
  
He arose and found himself nearing the black-haired girl's slight form, her back still opposite him. "Akane-" He couldn't think of anything else to say, but it seemed like enough for her and she turned to him slowly. Her velvety brown eyes expectant.  
  
The boy clutched her wrist gently and remained silent for a minute. "I-I just-" Not exactly sure of what he was going to reveal, he leaned in and pressed his lips softly against hers.  
  
They were barely touching, Ranma simply holding her wrist, Akane's arms hanging limply by her sides. To anyone else it might have seemed strange to kiss somebody so deeply without any other sort of physical contact, but as Ranma pulled away, examining his fiancée's face for any reluctance or disappointment, then finding none, it was the most intimate kiss that could have ever occurred between the two.  
  
Shocked and pleased with himself, he couldn't let go of her wrist, or move an inch, or take his eyes off her; his very heart stood still. And in an instant she opened her eyes.  
  
"Good night, Ranma." She said, her face glowing with happiness. He smiled and freed her.  
  
"Good night." He replied, taking a step back, watching this beautiful girl shimmering in the dancing flames of the firelight.  
  
Akane's lips curled delicately and she slid the door open quietly, ducking into the darkness of the bedroom and leaving the pigtailed boy with his thoughts.  
  
As he listened to her getting comfortable beneath the quilt behind the closed paper door, Ranma fell back against the wall, not sure his knees would hold him. He closed his eyes and sighed with satisfaction. "What a day-"  
  
Author's Note: Um, I was drinking "French Vanilla" cappuccino only minutes before I started writing this, so it was still going through my system when I was typing on the keyboard. I am a "coffee person", so sometimes I get a little carried away after a few cups-hee, hee, hope you like it anyway. My friends think I'm a hopeless romantic (Which I am!!! And proud of it!!!), and drama-queen (Well-maybe, but, never mind, hee, hee, hee-) so this fic contains a large quantity of both those factors (as do all my other fics). If you would like to read any of my other stories, just click on my name and it will give you a listing of my stories!!! Please read what you like, and review if you can!!!! I appreciate ALL opinions!!!! Thank you soooooooooo much for the encouragement you guys! I saw that you liked "Lost In You.", which was a chappie story ( CS) and so I decided that though I love to write one-shots, that I'd do another CS, just for fun. Hope you like this one as much as you liked "Lost In You." (If you DID like it, that is, er, yeah-).  
  
Lots 'a love!  
  
Your lady!  
  
Crystal_V_Princess ;P 


	3. Day Two

Three Days:  
  
Day Two  
  
  
  
By: Crystal_V_Princess  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma (but I'd like to, heh, heh!). All rights belong to that genius, Rumiko Takahashi (God bless her!).  
  
Note: I have received seventy-nine e-mails from people crying about my neglect of this story, well, I will explain it all in the Author's Note, so if you are dying for an explanation, please read it! LOL.  
  
Dedications: To ~*! Fireblaze ~*!, for her undying support and comfort (yes, yes, I am too much of a perfectionist!). And Tim, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! You're the best!!! I'm working on our idea now!!! I promise!!! To Lana Panther, Juniper Winner, Lian Leviathan, Caramia Shallear Cessiyyess, Sara, Trinity and Akane! Also to Furaidochikin!!! I've gotta' say, Neko-chan, you are truly a dear!!! I love you guys immensely!!! Thanks so much! *Kisses*  
  
Special Note: I'm sorry, but I didn't remember the exact spelling of the scree name of a certain nperosn who reviewed my second chapter, band I'm afraid of spelling it wrong, But this is addressed to you, whoever wrote about Akane's nor-so-reluctant attitude towards closeness with Ranma. Um-I believe you, truly, as I've heard my friends talk about it, but which book was this incident that you wrote about in? Please tell me! I'm dying to know!!!! Thank you if you respond!!!!  
  
Ranma sat quietly on the wooden floorboards of the summerhouse, his back pressed flat against the wall. His azure eyes darkened by the dancing shadows cast across his face by the jumping flames of the fire. "I kissed her-"  
  
He wasn't quite sure if it had been a dream or a reality; but the taste of Akane was strong on his lips as he run the tip of his tongue over them for the hundredth time in the past hour.  
  
Hour? Was it only one, or two, or one hundred? It seemed too long since he'd pressed his mouth to hers and he found himself yearning to do so once again. If only he'd held her longer, brought her face back to his after they'd pulled apart. Caressed her face gently, and whispered what he'd wanted to say for so long. The time had to be at least three in the morning.  
  
The heir to the Anything-Goes-School- Of-Martial-Arts breathed shallowly, as if he were half-awake, watching the tongues of fire leap about. He saw her there, the sensual curve of her waist and thigh, her slender arms raised above her head in a ballet of fire and wishes. Her movements were graceful, catlike, her eyes, those velvety brown orbs, staring at him. Pulling him in, drowning him in their depths.  
  
Somnolently he gazed at the dancing figure, his vision limited only to the girl he saw. Her full lips parted and she seemed to smile at him; heat rushed through his body. Ranma knew he was blushing. "I kissed her- " The words sunk in slowly, and he finally believed them. "I kissed Akane-" His voice raised just a bit, and the boy's pulse quickened. "Akane-"  
  
"Ranma?" As if in response to his address, his fiancée's voice called gently from the master bedroom. He stood quickly and slid the door open just enough to peek in. She was lying with her tiny hands buried in her rich black hair, beside her cheek, her little head upon the pillow, and her glistening eyes following his movements as he walked softly towards her. A kind of shy smile that he could not decipher on her lips.  
  
A crack of thunder boomed in the confused sound of rain pounding down on the roof. The smile disappeared after all too brief a performance, and she gripped the pillowcase tightly.  
  
"Ranma-" Her voice, so flowing a moment ago, was thick, searching. He knelt beside her on the futon and sought her hand in the darkness; she didn't pull away.  
  
  
  
"Right here." He said gently, "What's wrong?" Her fingers tightened around his and she buried her face in the pillow.  
  
The storm by this time had died down to a low rumbling, the fury of the gale subsiding into the sobbing wail of melancholy that appeared after a squall.  
  
  
  
Akane didn't stir, her body a small mass beneath the blankets, highlighted by the shuddering flames in the fire pit, which could be seen from the still open door. The boy moved to pull back his hand but she held him tight with a small gasp. "Stay." It was more a question than a demand and the boy felt himself submitting willingly to it.  
  
He fell back to his haunches then tucked his legs into an Indian-style position. He felt a small tug on his fingers.  
  
The pigtailed boy carefully unlocked his legs and reclined on his side, stretching out comfortably, but never letting go of her hand. The scent of lavender and rain filled his nose and he closed his eyes euphorically, thankful that it was so dark and Akane couldn't see his expression or the crimson which had brushed over his cheeks.  
  
The girl rolled over, facing away from Ranma, and tugged his arm delicately across her side to keep his hand. He drew his fingers softly along her cheek and neck. Warm lips pressed there lovingly, seeming unsure and needy. They reached her throat and the touch fixed itself there.  
  
Her heart beat faster; her breathing rose and fell rapidly and full drawn. Fire reached from her face all the way down to her toes and back up again. "Ranma-" Her voice gave way to the heavy emotion that weighed on her heart and she turn over to look at him. She was almost scared by what she saw.  
  
His dark blue eyes shone with a loving fervour she wasn't accustomed to, and the girl found herself moving backward from her fiancé. "The storm's over." She whispered lamely, swallowing quietly and letting out a long breath. Her fingers loosened from his and she pulled her arm to her side as if in slow motion.  
  
Ranma looked confused and hurt, then sat up in embarrassment. "Yeah. Nearly." He said carefully, suddenly irresolute and tense in the new situation. "I guess." He added, trying to think of something, anything to give him time to figure out what had just turned the moment around. A crease of worry and fear dipped in his brow and the pigtailed boy rose quickly. "I guess I'll go get some more wood for the fire then-" He mumbled, pushing the paper door open the rest of the way and heading for the front door.  
  
Panic shot through Akane's breast and she reached out a hand to him, as if to pull him back to her, though he was too far to touch. "Ranma!" She called, her eyes asking him more questions than he could answer.  
  
He stopped and turned in one smooth movement and searched her imploring face, a spark of hope gurgling up in him. "Huh?" He asked, aiming for indifference. Her hand dropped, along with the boy's heart, and she looked away toward the floor.  
  
"Nothing." She murmured, her bottom lip quivering slightly. She forced herself to turn her face back up, and immediately wished she hadn't.  
  
Ranma's jaw tightened in anger and she could hear him struggling to even his breathing. "Fine." He said, his voice hard and tight.  
  
He broke out of the room, his pale furious face showing whiter against his long black hair, his dark, fierce eyes blazing, his hands clenched, every respect of his demeanor looking frightening in the convulsions of his fury.  
  
He hurried out the door, slamming it in his wake, making Akane flinch beneath the heavy coverlet. Her dark brown eyes fogged up, and she felt the tears threatening to fall. She sucked in a breath sharply and squeezed her eyelids closed tightly. "Don't you dare cry, Akane Tendo-" She growled at herself, her voice ragged and sorrowful. "Don't you dare-"  
  
Salty droplets trickled down her cheeks, her crying muffled by her hands pressed to her face.  
  
Outside the house, Ranma leaned against the wall, listening to his fiancée's wretched sobs. He ran a hand through his bangs, cursing himself a million times. "Why do I always have to make her cry-?" He croaked, his dry throat closing in on the words. The anger had washed from his body soon after he'd heard the demand she'd made of herself, and failed in.  
  
"Damn! Damn! Damn!" The pigtailed boy slammed his fist against the wooden boards of the house, splintering the timber. He fell to his knees in defeat; strong shoulders slumped.  
  
That moment when they'd kissed had been so perfect, how had things gone wrong? Had he botched it by not showing Akane how he felt? Had he moved too fast? Or did the fault lie not only with him, but with them both?  
  
For the very first time in his life, Ranma was completely and totally terrified out of his mind. He was in love. And it was already proving to be the hardest battle he would ever fight. The worst part was, he seemed to always be combating himself. This was love. Real love. The kind that sneaks up and kicks you in the backside, then laughs at your discomfort outright.  
  
It wasn't something you ever saw coming, it was electric, igniting in your heart and traveling through your body till it met your soul and let you know that there's no turning back.  
  
The pigtailed boy closed his eyes wearily, hating Akane and loving her at the same time, which was usually how love worked.  
  
"Ranma!" The girl burst suddenly from the entrance of the house and hurried down the porch steps and out into the yard with incredible speed. She stood in the middle of the courtyard, the wet dirt and grass sticking to her bare feet. "Ranma!" She cried out into the dim darkness of night, the scent of disappearing dampness from the past rainstorm carrying on the wind across her face. "Ranma! Please!" She called out, not quite sure what the meaning of her words was, "Please!"  
  
  
  
"Right here." He choked out, mimicking his earlier words to her; stepping from the murky shadows at the wall of the house. He couldn't speak further.  
  
She twirled about to face him, her face streaked in wet lines, her breath emerging in short, uneven gaps. A look of fright masked her delicate features and she clenched her hands at her sides tightly, silent except for her inhalation. Then she swallowed and she appeared to be overcome with shame, or it may have been that other, more agitating thoughts overpowered and scared her, for she began to weep bitterly, small fists rubbing at her eyes futilely. A strangled noise was the only thing she could manage.  
  
Standing unmoving for a moment, the pigtailed boy processed the image before him. Then did the only thing he could. He advanced slowly and shyly, with something a bit deprecatory in his air, a lathy figure, a tall walk, and a very gentle and even heartbroken look on his pale, heart-shaped face.  
  
He took her in his arms, warming her small, cold body with his own. "Shh." He soothed, running the back of his hand gently down her cheek. "I won't leave you." The words sounded far away and he suddenly realized they were true. He wouldn't leave Akane, for anything in the world.  
  
Her face turned up to stare at him, searching for the truth. Ranma smiled down at her, his mouth small and boyish, the edges upturned in the way that only his could. She grasped his face in hers hands and pressed her lips firmly against his, scared and anxious for his reaction.  
  
His hands settled on her waist slowly, drawing the girl's body only slightly closer, then releasing her as the kiss ended. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out.  
  
"Promise?" She asked, running one slender, tapering finger across his bottom lip. Her velvety brown eyes implored him tenderly.  
  
  
  
Ranma felt another smile appear, this one larger than the last, and nodded gently. "Yes." He said softly.  
  
Akane stepped back from him, stretching willowy, firm arms above her head. "Good." She said plainly, staring up at the moon. Her toes curled in delight and she giggle gently despite herself. "Very good." Her eyelids shut and she clasped her hands behind her back, sighing through half-opened lips. It was a soft sigh, barely audible, but meant more than most mortal words.  
  
The pigtailed martial artist watched her carefully, his face gentle and warm from the kiss. "Why?" He asked, knowing full well the answer.  
  
"Just is." She replied, not looking at him; he had a feeling her audacity had passed and she was blushing in the blackness of the night. He heard her 'mmm' faintly as she massaged her right shoulder. Her face was glowing in the faint light from the celestial body above them.  
  
He paused by the moonlit girl a few minutes more, then walked to the steps, standing for a moment, looking along the shadowy forest, then returned to the glow of the room, in which the pleasant perfume of tea prevailed.  
  
Ranma took out the small pot and boiled some water over the irori fireplace, watching the flames lick the bottom of the kettle, blackening it. Then, poured himself a cup and dipped the leaves in.  
  
The shorthaired girl stepped into the living room, and moved to tip water in a cup for herself, then sat quietly beside her fiancé. She sipped a little, drew her brows slightly together to collect her thoughts, and then looked up with a wondrous solemn face to begin. "I love you, Ranma." She said quietly, a sincere and frightened sound. "I love you. But I don't know what that changes between us."  
  
Looking into his glass, he mused, stirring the tea leisurely. "Changes?" His eyes stared into her soul then turned back to the cup. "I think it speaks for itself." Akane looked confused, cupping her glass in tightly bunched hands. The boy's face softened. "Let it happen." He murmured, placing his tea on the floor and reaching for her.  
  
His arm slipped around her delicately curved shoulders and he pressed his forehead against her temple, picking up his cup with the other hand.  
  
She nodded vaguely and turned her face to press her small nose into the soft flesh beneath his jawbone. "Okay."  
  
Author's Note: Okay, I know you guys must be SOOOOOOOOOOOOmad at me, so PLEASE, forgive me just this once!!! I beg of you!!! *holds hands up in a pleading manner, her eyes tearing up* I was working on this, then my computer crashed, three times no less! Seriously!!! Then, I had to start it all over again and I wanted it to be just like the way I had first started writing it, but it was really hard to remember. For those of you who are writers also and are reading this, you know what I mean. How sometimes you get into a really inspires state and if you try to replicate it at any other time it's near impossible. Well, needless to say, I was completely and totally frustrated and so I decided to start all over again on a completely different level. I got pretty inspired on this chapter version also, and it seems that I made it quite emotional and raw. Which, to be perfectly frank, I really wanted to do, but couldn't manage before. I was sticking to the whole, "hey, they're in love, and this is fanfiction, so I'm not going to give them any real problems" type thing, which I usually put in my stories, as they are fairly light-hearted and uplifting (or so I'm told by you wonderful, beautiful people). So, I hope you like this chappie, I know it's rather mature, meaning it's dramatic in a guttural way.  
  
My friend Tim told me that he noticed that my writing has been getting more serious as of late, well, he was right. But have no worries! It is more focused solely on this story, which is more adult than the others. I will always revert back to the happiness which I love to recline in while I'm writing, so if you are hoping for stories which are more humorous and care-free like "Wanna' Bet?!" or "Fence- Walking", expect more. But as this has two more chapters to it (maybe even an epilogue) please read and enjoy!!!  
  
Okay, that's the answer to the questions I've had the most frequently, here's another one. Am I male or female. I am a girl, yes. So, don't feel nervous about mentioning my gender, as some of you have expressed to me your insecurities in the lack of knowledge of my gender, I am supplying you with it as of now. No more stress, please! I am ALWAYS happy to hear from reviewers, be they praising or dissing, your thoughts mean a lot to me. So please, e-mail me, review my stories, whatever you like!  
  
Yes, in response to another question, I AM writing a book. Unfortunately it is not Ranma 1/2 , as I'm sure Rumiko Takahashi would not be pleased in learning that I was using her copyrighted material, if I were that is. Hopefully, it will be finished and put out on the market soon. Sorry, I can't give anything away. Okay, fine, yes, it does have romance in it! Jeez! Pry it out of me! Just kidding.  
  
Okay, I hope that has satisfied your thirst for replies! Feel free to ask me any other questions, well, except for my address. LOL. If you want to read any of my other stories, click on my name and you will get a listing of titles. Click on whichever you would like to read, and please tell me what you think!!!! Thank you so much for everything! I love you guys soooooooooo much! XXXOOO! Mwah!  
  
Love,  
  
Your Lady,  
  
Crystal_V_Princess ;P  
  
P.S. Sorry for leaving out the "Dedications" last time!!! I remembered you though!! Truly!!!! 


	4. A Moment In Time

Three Days:  
  
A Moment in Time  
  
  
  
By: Crystal_V_Princess  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½, though it is a delicious thought! Heeheehee! *gets mental picture of Ranma* Heehee! J/K! All rights to the characters and storyline (except for the one I'm writing of course!) belong to that genius Rumiko Takahashi (God bless her!).  
  
Note: In my last installment I said there would be another chapter and maybe an epilogue coming, well, that was not worded properly I'm afraid. You see, Day Two isn't over yet-heh, heh! So there should be TWO more chappies and an epilogue coming up! This being one of the two! Wait, no, er, nevermind! I've thoroughly confused myself now, hope YOU guys got it!  
  
Dedications: To ~*! Fireblaze ~*! (Geez, you've become a regular part of the "Dedications" by now!! With good reason, of course!). To Tim Z, thank you for all your encouragement, and for putting up with me for the past few weeks!!!!! Love ya! To Caramia Shallear Cessiyyess, Juniper Winner, Lian Leviathan, Trinity (thanks for cheering me up!), Sara, Lana Panther, Akane and of course, Furaidochikin!!! Thankies, dear! I love you all! XXXOOO!!!!  
  
Princesse, ce loz je vous porte  
  
Que sans vous je ne feusse rien,  
  
A vous et a tous m'en rapporte,  
  
On doit dire du bien le bien.  
  
Francois Villon, "The Poems of Francois Villon", "Poesies Diverses"  
  
They'd slept apart that night; more from fright of themselves than each other. Tossing and turning simultaneously in their separate beds, reacting in turn to the soft crumpling of sheets and blankets as they moved about uncomfortably in their bedding. Somehow, the shared fear was bringing them closer, making the distance nearly intolerable. And in those moments, the two realised just how much in love they really were.  
  
After those few hours of slumber, Ranma rose early, careful not to wake the girl sleeping in the master bedroom, stepping out into the crisp air of early morning. He breathed in deeply, his nose filling with the sweet scent of the foliage; the rain had left everything clean and damp.  
  
The woodland around the summerhouse was pretty, hemmed round by an amphitheatre of purple mountains, rich in tint and furrowed by ravines, high in air and spindly pine trees. The orange sun came rising from behind the leaves, bathing the landscape in the fiery colours of dawn.  
  
"Ranma?" Akane's voice came from behind him; and though he hadn't expected it, he wasn't surprised to hear her.  
  
The pigtailed boy turned smoothly to gaze at his fiancée, azure eyes gentle and wondering. She moved toward him, warm and sleep-soft, holding a lamp up, which added to the oranges and pinks that illuminated her form and face. "What're you doing?" She murmured, opening the glass door of the lantern to blow out the flame of the candle.  
  
"Watching everything wake up." He said, remembering the words she'd said about the awakening life of the forest the first day they'd come.  
  
She smiled warmly; obviously she'd remembered as well. "Hmm." Was the only reply needed as her hand found it's way into his.  
  
"Watch with me?" He asked, his tone imploring but reassured. Akane nodded slowly and let out a deep breath that felt as if she'd held it forever.  
  
A small rasping noise emerged from her throat as she tried to smile, followed by a cough. Ranma squeezed her hand and a look of worry spread over his face.  
  
"You okay, Akane?" He questioned anxiously, his brows knitting together. She struggled to suppress another cough as she nodded, causing a violent string of hacking in place.  
  
The boy placed a hand on her smooth forehead and another on his own, feeling for any difference in temperature. "You have a fever!" He exclaimed, pulling his fingers away quickly and grabbing her arms. Her eyelids fluttered like nervous butterflies and her face appeared to pale.  
  
  
  
"Just a little headache," she gasped, pressing her fingertips to her throbbing temple, "I'm okay." Ranma wasn't convinced by her ailing tone and gently persuaded her to let him surrender the futon for her to use again, and to retire at once to rest; her consent was extorted only upon the condition that he would not leave her for a moment.  
  
After she'd settled back into bed, he wiped a washcloth soaked in cold water across her brow softly. "Jeez, Akane," He said fretfully, "You shouldn't have come outside like that last night!" His words invoked the memouries of their shared kisses and he blushed slightly.  
  
  
  
She tried to sit up but he pressed his palm against her shoulder gently and she lowered herself back onto the bedding. "I should have let you wander off angry?" She questioned, her tone half hurt and half accusing.  
  
Ranma's face softened considerably and a little smile pulled at his lips. "No. I'm sorry. I'm just worried." The honesty of his words surprised them both and he turned quickly to dip the cloth back into the bucket of cold water behind him.  
  
The pig-tailed boy felt a gentle tug on the back of his shirt, right above his waist. "I'll be okay." She said, her voice quiet but forceful. "Don't worry so much." He swiveled around slowly to look at her, his eyes soft and raw with feeling.  
  
Not a thought went through his head as he reached down and clutched her to him. "Akane-" She lifted her arms around him and pressed her face into his shoulder.  
  
"You don't have to say it if you don't want to. Not yet." The words compelled him more than any encouragement could have.  
  
He moved back, not releasing her completely, and tightened his jaw, swallowing. "I want to." A look of doubt passed like a shadow through her eyes and he wanted to hold her again, make that doubt go away. "Really. I do." She looked away for a second then back at him.  
  
"But if you don't-" He shook his head, the tightly woven pigtail sailing over his right shoulder and resting there.  
  
"I'd say so." Her fingers found their way to his unruly bangs and her small hand brushed across the glossy black fringes.  
  
  
  
Gazing up at him, Akane realised how utterly endearing he looked when he got that serious expression on his face. Those deep determined eyes. That wild thick hair. The strong line of his nose. She drank in the sight of him, trying to memorise every inch of his face in that one moment.  
  
"It's hard though." He whispered, his voice imploring and explanatory, "And-"  
  
"Scary." She finished for him. He stretched his hand out to grasp hers and squeezed it firmly.  
  
"Right." There was a strain in his tone. "I will though. I need to-" His voice faltered and the girl's heart tightened.  
  
"You're not ready." She said softly, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him against her again. "I don't want you to say it!" She felt like crying. He'd told her through his actions, and it was true there was a saying about actions speaking louder than words, but she needed to hear it from his lips. Why couldn't he speak a few little words? Maybe he didn't really love her after all.  
  
The thought made her insides clench so hard it made her chest hurt. She didn't want to think about it. She couldn't. Akane fought back tears but a small sniffle emerged despite her efforts.  
  
"Akane?" Ranma's voice was quizzical, his chin bobbing about on the swell of her shoulder as he spoke. Suddenly, she moved back and took his face between her hands. She pushed her lips hard against his. She wouldn't cry.  
  
The pig-tailed boy's eyes widened then fluttered closed as he slowly returned the kiss. His arms circled her body, holding her close. Something warm and salty slid between their lips and he pulled back to see his fiancée crying.  
  
His fingers reached up and touched the tear on his mouth, bursting the perfect droplet. "I love you." He stated, confused and apprehensive. "What's wrong?"  
  
The girl's shoulders shook and Ranma tilted her chin up to him gently. "I love you." He repeated, for lack of anything better to say, if anything could have been better. Akane briefly wondered how he'd read her mind.  
  
He stared at her. She stared back, her velvety brown eyes shimmering with emotion. She smiled. "Thank you." His face loosened a bit at her grin and she took his hand again, gripping his fingers in a gentle embrace.  
  
"Yeah." He murmured, not taking his eyes from her face. The short- haired girl laid back down on the blankets and closed her eyes.  
  
"How many days have we been here so far?" She asked, letting out a long breath. She felt the cloth on her brow again and the corner of her mouth turned up gently.  
  
"Two, counting today and not counting Wednesday." He sounded softer and lower when she couldn't see him, it was the kind of experience you get when you talk to someone over the phone.  
  
"Oh. It feels like a hundred years." Her eyes blinked open and a hurt expression sat on they boy's face. "No. No." She said quickly, sitting up, causing the rag to fly out of his hand and across the room, "Not like that. I just meant it seems strange without everything being so crazy as it is when we're home." A deep red blush ran across her cheeks as she realised she'd just called the Tendo dojo home. Their home. Together.  
  
Ranma didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he kept it hidden quite well. "Guess you're right." He agreed, standing and retrieving the damp material. He dunked it back into the water, rinsing out any dust that may have gotten caught in the fibres when thrown. "It's quieter here. More peaceful. Deserted." The washcloth was squeezed out and placed on her forehead again. They looked at each other. A sudden sense of reserve filled the room and Akane bit her lip and searched the walls with her eyes.  
  
It was deserted. They were completely alone here, far from prying eyes, insane Amazons, okonomiyaki chefs and the Kuno siblings. She pondered silently if their parents expected anything to-happen. A worm of fear crawled through her blood until it went cold and inkled into her heart. Did Ranma expect anything to happen?  
  
She rolled over onto her side, watching him watch anything but her. No. He didn't. He was as innocent in all this as she was, if not more so. She doubted the thought had ever crossed his mind, and suddenly felt guilty. Sorry Ranma-she apologised to him inwardly.  
  
The silence was becoming unnerving and something had to be done. She stood up carefully, making sure to step on the creaky board. Aha! That got his attention! Ranma glanced at her from the corner of his eyes then turned to face her altogether. "I'm going to take a bath." She said cheerfully, setting them both suddenly at ease. She saw the boy's shoulder visibly slacken and smiled secretly. Good. Things were back as they should be.  
  
Akane walked to the bathroom door and slid it open, not turning around. "Akane?" His voice sounded behind her, questioning and calm. She swiveled in the open doorway and gazed at him.  
  
"Yes?" She asked, raising the gentle curve of her eyebrows into arches. He grinned. It was a nice easy grin.  
  
"Can I have another kiss?" He sounded shy but assured. She smiled back and went to him slowly, stepping into his outstretched arms. Now this was the life, she thought as their lips melted together. Without a doubt.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: I'm sorry this took so long, but I've had computer troubles and other kinds of troubles too, so I'm sorry, but I couldn't do a wee bitsy thing about it! There, I hope that apology's accepted!  
  
I've had a few questions posed to me since the last chapter, and I'm going to answer them now. The first one was about me being a coffee drinker. I'm not quite sure what significance this has to my writing style but I'll answer your questions nonetheless.  
  
Yes, it's true that I drink coffee on a regular basis, with milk preferably, but I can drink it black as well. Seeing as I am of an age to do so (Yes, I know that you don't stop growing till you're 27!) there is really no need to worry! Really! So please, don't be too concerned about this! If it helps ease those of you who were troubled by this habit, I also drink tea frequently. If possible Mucho Mate (accent above the "E") with lemon. It's made by Traditional Medicinals and has a lovely herbal-y, refreshing taste which rejuvenates the body, lifts the soul and is all natural to boot! No, I am not part of a worldwide advertising party sent out to infiltrate your growing minds and make you into Mucho Mate zombies. No worries! Heeheehee!  
  
People have also asked me about my music preferences seeing as I have added some of the music I listen to while writing into the beginning credits or acknowledgements. I love Celtic and French music (I AM of strong French blood after all!) I am also a HUGE fan of David Bowie. I don't really have any favourite band or singer, but if I did, he would be it! I listen to a bit of everything so I don't have any specific variety I absolutely only patronise. I also love the Japanese band Smap, if you can, check them out, they're awesome! Truthfully, I love most sappy love songs, and I suppose these would have to be the majority of the music I listen to (not counting David Bowie of course!). Thanks for your time if you even got so far as to read all this! I'll write more soon! If you want to read any more of my fiction, click on my name and it will give you a listing, then click on the title you wish to read! Thanks for everything!  
  
Love,  
  
Your Lady,  
  
Crystal_V_Princess ;P  
  
P.S. If you want the translation to the poem in the beginning, e-mail me or I'll write it into my next chappie, whichever! Love! 


	5. Day Three

Three Days:  
  
Day Three  
  
By: Crystal_V_Princess  
  
Disclaimer: I do not claim Ranma ½. That's that! It all belongs to Rumiko Takahashi (God bless her genius!).  
  
Dedications: For my love, the capsicum. *wink* To Trinity, whom I love because she grins even when I'm just being absolutely crazy! You're a great friend! And ~*! Fireblaze ~*!, thank you! To Lana Panther, Juniper Winner, Lian Leviathan, Caramia Shallear Cessiyyess, Sara and Akane. Also, to all the people who have kept e-mailing me and yelling at me to get going on this one! I love you guys! Hope I haven't forgotten anyone! If I have, sorry, I'm a bit muddled right now, but you know I appreciate all your support! Thanks a mill!  
  
Note: Caution: This is my KISSING chapter! Also, the poem below is the translated version of the few small verses of French poetry from "A Moment in Time". Francois Villon was a genius! This actually would have been up a week or so ago, but my Internet connection was down so I had to wait. Sorry! Hope you enjoy!  
  
Princess, I offer you this eulogy,  
  
Without you I would be nothing,  
  
To you and everyone I say again,  
  
Of the good the good should be spoken.  
  
-Francois Villon , The Poems of Francois Villon, Miscellaneous Poems  
  
Ranma Saotome ran a long-fingered hand through his unruly bangs for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. This was the last day he'd be spending alone with Akane, the last day they could act freely with each other without being worried that some maniac was filming them over their shoulders. The last day they could be in love.  
  
The pigtailed boy sat dejectedly on the damp wooden steps of the front porch, remembering the months that he'd shared with his fiancée before they'd come to the summerhouse. They were interesting to say the least, but not interesting enough to want to revert back to. It was amazing what three days alone, three incredible days, could do to a relationship, they had invariably blossomed into something he had rarely dared to dream about before.  
  
He closed round azure eyes dreamily, re-living the kisses from the night before. Never in his life had he imagined that who he'd been calling an un-cute tomboy could be so soft, and smell so good. A blush spread over his cheeks like fire and he shook himself quickly. It would all be over soon. No more close contact with Akane. His shoulders slumped miserably.  
  
As if on cue, the shorthaired girl came skipping out of the house calling his name. "Ranma!" He jumped at the sound of her voice, a guilty look spreading across the troubled features at the tunnel of his thoughts. "Ranma?" She was beside him, leaning quite close. Maybe a bit TOO close considering the circumstances. "Ranma, are you okay?" Or maybe, she was leaning just close enough.  
  
In one quick movement she was sprawled over his knees, her small body held tightly in strong arms. Their mouths knew each other, knew how to react. It was a long kiss, long and deep, months of frustration and anger pouring out into it. Now all that frustration and anger would be coming back. Haunting their every movement, laughing cruelly to their faces.  
  
He held her snugly against him, his fingers clenching hard on her shoulders, hard enough to cause her to yelp softly. "Ranma!" He broke from his thoughts quickly as he felt her pull away just enough to look him in the face. "Something IS wrong. I can tell, you know." She was worried, it was obvious, the way her young forehead crinkled when she looked at him.  
  
Ranma ran a thumb over her brow, trying to smooth out the wrinkles. "It's not much, Akane. Okay?" He said, his voice soft and low in her ear. He didn't want to look at her. To see her so happy, then to watch what they'd discovered about themselves and each other be crushed in one fell swoop of their families in the oncoming hours. He pressed his cheek against hers, eyelids shutting firmly. "Don't worry. I don't want you to."  
  
The girl squirmed uncomfortably in his lap, doubtful of the unconvincing words. "But, Ranma-" He silenced her quickly with another kiss. She felt a salty bead drip onto her face, sliding down the soft skin there. "Please tell me." She pleaded, moving back to brush the tears away from his eyes with her fingertips. It had been a while since she'd seen him cry, really cry. Had she ever seen him truly cry?  
  
He shrugged smoothly, slipping into his cocky façade instinctively. "Not a thing." The sides of her mouth turned down slowly as he leaned back on his elbows suddenly, and she slid off of his lap in slight annoyance.  
  
"You still can't talk to me." Akane stated, leaning forward as she grasped her elbows, her body scrunched tightly. "After all this. I don't understand you, Ranma." She shook her head, not sure of what to say next.  
  
"There's nothing to say. I'm just thinking." His fiancée looked at him incredulously, pursing her lips for a moment and then scooting a little closer.  
  
"That would be a first, huh? On both counts." His eyes flicked to her irritated demeanor swiftly at the sharp tone of her words. This wasn't good. Were they already spinning back into the places they'd kept before? Angry? Reluctantly engaged? At each others throats?  
  
Ranma took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "C'mon, Akane." He whispered, his lids closing against her probing eyes. They were so dark sometimes, almost black, and then others they held so much light.  
  
It seemed that the Fates were clearly extremely biased against them both. Why did things have to be like this? Life wasn't fair, that was one truth he'd learned at an early age, but never before had he truly grasped it so completely. This was like having a taste of ambrosia and then being flung back to drink the bland liquids of earth.  
  
"You keep sighing." Akane's sweet voice shattered the confusing questions screaming through his head. She was leaning over him and he hadn't even noticed somehow. A sad, angelic smile hovered on her coral lips. "Ranma, please. I love you. I want to help. What's wrong?" She asked him softly, all tenderness and sincerity, dipping her head to kiss his neck in a quick gentle movement.  
  
Ranma breathed shakily as the softness of her mouth contacted with his throat. She laid her chin on the spot beneath his collarbone, waiting, staring up at him expectantly. He lifted his hand to her hair lightly. "I don't want it to end." He murmured, barely audible.  
  
"It won't." She assured quietly, moving into a sitting position, her fingers holding his where they were. "I promise it won't. How could it? I won't stop loving you, Ranma. I could never stop loving you." He stared at her for a minute, considering, some unknown emotion breezing across his features and then disappearing into the striking azure of his eyes.  
  
"That's not what I mean." Akane looked confused and he shook his head for lack of anything better to do. "This." The pigtailed boy gestured at their surroundings.  
  
She smiled as he laid his hand delicately on hers. "This." Ranma closed his eyes again wearily and sighed for what must have been the twelve-thousandth time that morning. "We won't be able to be like this when we're home." Akane sighed suddenly too.  
  
"Why not?" The words were so soft and terrified his eyes jolted open in shock. She was staring off into forest, watching the sun rise like fire from behind the trees. Sunrises in the country were usually cool pinks and soft greys, very rarely oranges and reds, and then extremely timid hues. It was as if this morning was purposefully different from the rest, a foretelling of their defeat at the hands of common reality. As if the whole of the world around them was completely aware that the dream-like state of being they'd been living in for the past days was soon to be devastated.  
  
He reached up abruptly, his back rising off the boards of the porch, and placed a hand on either side of her face, turning it towards him, pulling her down to where he was reclining. When they kissed it was like he was reaching inside her, trying to take a little part of her to keep when they parted. She felt as if her heart would stop.  
  
"Ranma?" Akane's voice was a question as he smoothed his fingers over the back of her neck, catching the stray hairs that had fought their way from the tight little ponytail she'd gathered her dark, short tresses into. Ranma gazed up at her, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth at the thought of how she'd struggled that morning to catch all of it in that tiny tail which looked more like a decorative tuft on some bizarre hat. How could he let her frown when he lived for her smile?  
  
"I couldn't stop loving you either." She squinted at him for a spilt- second and then grinned again. Ahh, that was the Akane he knew and loved.  
  
"No more worries then?" He rose up on his elbows once more, stroking her cheek with a tenderness he rarely allowed himself.  
  
"None." A thoughtful look bathed his face with mischief and the young martial artist regarded his pretty fiancée through half-lidded eyes. "Do you know how many times we've kissed in the past few days?" Lord knows what evil demon possessed him to say such a thing, because clearly if he had been in his right mind he would have choked just at the thought.  
  
Apparently Akane had the same opinion because she blushed a brilliant red and coughed so loudly and for such a long time Ranma was afraid one of her lungs might come up soon. "Um, no." She replied softly when she'd finally managed to gain control of herself.  
  
"Five." He stated matter-a-factly, scratching his shoulder. "Well on the mouth anyway." A new eruption of hacking and strangled bursts of coughing met this trivia.  
  
Ranma feinted concern, patting her on the back tenderly. "Something in your throat, Akane?" He asked, when the wheezing and choking noises had come to an end.  
  
"Oo, you're terrible." The shorthaired girl scowled at him from beneath dark lashes. "Too, too terrible." He smiled impishly, regarding her with interest.  
  
"Care to make it six?" Akane hesitated a moment, then stood suddenly, smoothing the lacy hem of her skirt with disdain. She stared down the graceful line of her nose at him, the same half-closed eyes he'd observed her with only moments ago.  
  
"Not without a fight." She breathed, crossing her arms slowly and looking down at him sitting in confusion on the porch steps. Ranma furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head in astonishment.  
  
"I don't fight girls." He stated simply, resting his forearm on the knee he'd drawn up to his chest. "You know that." She raised her eyebrows, unconcerned.  
  
"Then I don't care to make it six." She turned apathetically, the rise of her shoulders rigid in defiance and irrevocability. Her walk was something Ranma had never seen before, all determination and insouciance. It was the walk of someone who wasn't about to give in, no matter the stakes. He could probably have roasted P-Chan on a spit over a blazing fire and she'd just stand there, arms crossed, glaring at him over the flames with narrowed brown eyes.  
  
Okay, maybe that was a bit much- "Akane!" A voice called out, strangely resembling his own. Wait! It WAS his voice! "Fine!" He struggled to clamp a hand over his mouth, but the words were out somehow before he'd even thought them. It was bizarre how something like a mere kiss could make you do the oddest things.  
  
Akane didn't bother to turn around, simply stood there, waiting. He could almost taste her anticipation as she breathed, loud to his ears but no others.  
  
It was over quick. A swift sweep of his leg at her ankles and she was down, the weight of her body resting calmly on his leg and the arm which had reached out and caught her as she fell. He knew she wouldn't fight, and yet, it was perplexing all the same.  
  
"You win." She grinned, her mouth twitching slightly as she suppressed a laugh. The pigtailed boy let out the breath that had strained so hard against his ribs at his words that it had hurt.  
  
"You said a fight-" He stuttered, confused and pleased at the same time. "A fight-that wasn't-I mean-" She grabbed hold of the hand he was waving in the air to illustrate his lack of a point and pulled herself forward onto her knees.  
  
"A tease for a tease." She giggled, her hands snaking their way across his sides slowly. "You tease." She was an inch away from him and he was beginning to find breathing to be somewhat of an intricate practice.  
  
"Um, tease. Yes. You. I. Uh-huh." Did HE just say that? Man, he could not think under pressure like this. Akane's fingers were knotted together at his lower back, forcing him closer.  
  
"Make it six." She murmured, her eyes already beginning to close. That was all the thrust he needed. Six was such a lovely number. He'd never realised just how lovely-  
  
The day seemed to pass all too quickly, every moment together seemed to be fast-forwarded and Ranma felt as if she were slipping from his fingers just like the daylight as it melted into the swiftly darkening sky. They were packing for most of the day, shaking out the futon and rolling it back up, cleaning all the dishes. It was almost like they were leaving home. A home they alone had shared together.  
  
"I'm going to miss it." He said quietly as Akane swept up the grass and dust from their days of mad scampering in and out of the house at all hours. Ranma smiled at the thoughts softly, it was funny how only moments ago were considered the past, and those three days would be branded in his mind as bittersweet and wonderful parts of that past.  
  
"I am too." She replied, her voice sounding far away as if the wind had somehow swept the words from her throat before she'd uttered them. The broom moved faster suddenly and she brushed the dirt out onto the porch and beneath the railing into the grass. "Maybe we'll come back." She called to him, from out on the porch, gazing off into the purple-tinged sky, her velvety brown eyes moist with un-shed tears.  
  
"You okay?" He asked, gazing at her as she stood, framed by the diminishing, pale lights of day. Her nodding head was almost imperceptible.  
  
"I'm just going to miss being here with you." The girl slipped in through the opened door and paused momentarily, her temple leaning on the rounded edge of the handle. "But I'm not sad." She stated, her voice a smile of its own. "I'm glad we're going home."  
  
Ranma stared at her in shock, his back straightening even in the Indian-style sitting position. "It's time, after all." Akane sighed contentedly, placing the broom back in the cleaning cupboard. "We found what we were sent here to. And," She continued with a small smile, "I was beginning to miss all the chaos of Nerima." He didn't hold back his own grin at the thought of their welcoming party.  
  
"I know what you mean." He closed his eyes slowly, rubbing the back of his neck with nonchalance. "'Specially Shampoo." One dark blue eyes opened, flicking to his fiancée to judge her reaction.  
  
"You're kidding." She croaked, her skin bristling for a second then passing into assurance, along with the red-glinting glimmer in her eye. "You are so kidding." A wide smirk parted his mouth, going nearly from ear to ear.  
  
"Yeah." He wasn't sure but he thought he saw her sigh in relief. "What should we tell them happened here? You know they're going to ask." Akane sat down beside him, leaning her shoulder against his bicep.  
  
"I know." She agreed. "The truth?" Both of them went pale at that. "Scrap that idea." She said hurriedly, sitting up straight and knitting her fingers together.  
  
Ranma gazed at the bunched digits and held his breath. "You locked yourself in your room the entire time we were here?" He proposed after a while, his voice shrugging as much as his shoulders.  
  
Akane's eyes were dark, brown velvet pools, a ripple of thought, it seemed, flickered over them like a breeze and then she tilted her head, birdlike. "Maybe." She didn't sound as certain as he would have hoped. "Not bad." She said a second later, a soft, encouraging smile on her lips.  
  
"'Kay." The pigtailed boy said with a speedy nod. "Then that's that." He felt her fingers soft on his arm and his head turned without volition.  
  
"You think they'll believe it?" She questioned, her small hand moving to his bangs and smoothing down the wild hair gently. He wanted to close his eyes and let himself drown in her, carry her off into the forest and hide as their fathers searched for them, anything but go home. Anything but abandon her touch.  
  
But he knew they couldn't. That was the only problem. "Sure. As long as we make a pretty good show of our vehement disgust at being left alone together." Akane grinned and rubbed her face into his shoulder to stifle the giggles that threatened to bubble forth.  
  
"Right. I can do that." He beamed back, cast in the spell again. And then the alarm on the traveling clock she set beside their bedding went off, screeching loudly, jolting them back into the world around them.  
  
"It's time." She whispered, her voice choked. Akane cleared her throat and stood, her body tense, and seized the bundle of used clothes which were wrapped in a sheet and tied at the top. Her footsteps almost sounded faint, light, ghostlike, if Ranma closed his eyes.  
  
When he opened them again she was out on the porch, waiting for him to join her. He leapt to his feet and brushed the nonexistent dust from his pants with shaking hands. "I'm ready." He declared, a weak smirk on his face. For some reason, his trademark cockiness didn't make him feel any better.  
  
The heir to the Anything-Goes School of martial arts pulled the key out of his pocket and locked the door, letting the screen door slam behind him in one last declaration of his annoyance and uncertainty. Then he followed his fiancée to where she was rinsing her hands beneath the cool water from the pump.  
  
He looked around them one last time, the smoky- coloured sky, the clouds like un-dyed cotton candy, the cool grass moist looking and crisp and the smell of the trees and night-air all around them. She stood there, staring at him, waiting, knowing what he was going to do before he did it.  
  
His muted laughter murmured through tight lips. "They'll be here soon." He began to move smoothly toward her, each move with such fluidity and grace they seemed almost feline. Predatory. A smile toyed at the corners of his mouth. "You ready?"  
  
Ranma seized her in a grip like iron, crushing her between himself and the damp wooden boards of the house. His fingers clamped in her hair, not painfully, but not gently. Her skull impacted with the wall and she jumped more from shock than anything else. Wind rasped in her chest; his face was suddenly close to her skin. "One for the road?" He mumbled hoarsely. There was no question.  
  
Her eyelids suddenly drifted down as if she were sleepy, her tongue flicking out to moisten dry lips and her firm, bare arms went about his neck and passionately kissed his eager mouth.  
  
They stood there embracing in the shadows of the house for a long time, making this final kiss before they had to go last. Wishing it to be longer.  
  
Pulling away slowly, reluctantly, Ranma slipped back into his characteristic, somewhat foolhardy optimism. "I love you." She reached up and brushed away a tear from his cheek. How it got there he'd never know.  
  
"I love you too." Their hands reached out and he gave her a shaky grin, clinging hard to her fingers as they waited.  
  
It didn't take long for their fathers to arrive; loudly arguing which road they should have taken in the first place and whose fault it was that that road wasn't taken right off the bat. "I told you it was to the right, Tendo!" Genma hollered, or well, WOULD have hollered if he had not been currently in the form of a panda. As this was the case, he was popping out signs with derogatory remarks and exclamations of objection like needles on a porcupine.  
  
"Hello, Uncle Saotome." Akane called, releasing Ranma's hand gently and taking a step forward to wave at the two new arrivals. "How was the trip?"  
  
Unfortunately, the pair were so busy bopping each other on the head with anything they could get their hands (or paws) onto and making loud noises, mostly grunts, that her greeting wasn't even heard. The shorthaired girl smiled over her shoulder at Ranma and did something he'd never seen her do before, at least not at him. She winked.  
  
He stretched his arms behind his head, grinning back and hurried over to where she was walking off toward the battling duo.  
  
They were going home.  
  
Author's Note:  
  
This was my kissing chapter. So there was a LOT of kissing in it. I wanted their last day at the summer house to be un-barred and confident because for most of the time they were there it was more a discovery, an adventure into love, which is the greatest adventure of all, and they were pretty unsure of themselves and each other for the majority of the time. I kinda felt bad for putting them through so much raw emotion, which was horrible of me, they'll probably be traumatised for life (or until I write my next light-hearted, happy-go-lucky fic), and I decided to let them just enjoy being in love for a while. Well, for the most part of the chapter, I know, I know, the beginning was sort of angsty because of poor, broody Ranma and his poor, broody thoughts. But I truly feel all of those thoughts were necessary to illustrate exactly what he was feeling before Akane's purely innocent logic brought him back to reality as it is. Oh well, I guess I am just too dramatic at times. I wanted this whole story to be rather thought- provoking and meaningful. Hope I succeeded!  
  
Anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed this chappie, and I'm so sorry it took so long! I will be making an Epilogue after this chapter, but I doubt it'll be as long since it's more like the pictures that flash between the ending credits of a movie. You know? I'm so glad you read this! If you would like to read any more of my fics (no, not all of them are this dramatic and serious) just click on my name and it'll give you a listing, then click on the title of the fic(s) you would like ot read. Thanks! God bless!  
  
Love,  
  
Your Lady,  
  
Crystal_V_Princess ;P 


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